Rejoicing to Know Him by Alesha Sinks

“And all the people went their way to eat and drink and to send portions and to make great rejoicing, because they had understood the words that were declared to them.” Nehemiah 8:12

They understood. They rejoiced!

And so often I hear the word of God and I groan.

God wants me to be relentless in pursuing Him. God wants me to put the needs of others ahead of my own. God wants me to give the first of my money with a cheerful heart. God wants me to serve others with humility.

Yet they rejoiced.

They read commands like give the first and the best of all your increase and do not exact interest from your brothers and they rejoiced. They rejoiced.

But I so often read the commands and sigh. And then Nehemiah 8:12 and I wonder what’s wrong with me. They rejoiced at the reading of the law and I find myself stressed when I think about making time to pick up His Word. And I wonder why?

But as I look closer, it becomes clear that they didn’t rejoice at a list of rules.

They rejoiced to know God.

And I think that’s where I get off track.
I turn God into a to do list and a list to check off and a measuring stick to see how tall I stand when really it was supposed to be a relationship.

They rejoiced to know God, and I am taking the knowing of God and turning it into a list of rules. And rules and religion never made anyone rejoice.

But knowledge of a good and loving God brings great joy!

When I read the rules and the challenges of God’s Word and see God’s character through them, that brings joy. Because the rules and the lessons of the Bible aren’t a measuring stick so much as they are laser pointer, always focused on Jesus.

So day by day I’m reordering my mind...it’s not a book to read and obey, it’s a relationship to partake in and be transformed by.

This means war by Alesha Sinks

I fall into the trap daily, hourly…the trap of my own mind.
Thoughts creep in and I listen, somehow thinking that what ever my mind comes up with is worth listening to.

I think I’m right, because everywhere I look the world is screaming the same message…Follow your heart.

And every time, somewhere down the path of following my heart, I find myself desperately broken and totally lost. Because my heart isn’t worth following. Your heart isn’t worth following.

Somewhere along the way, our pride has tricked us into thinking that our earthbound, temporary view of things is strong enough to guide us correctly through life and into eternity.

But you don’t have to look hard to find God saying something very different.

“The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?” Jeremiah 17:9 (NKJV)

And we think this life is a game to win or lose without any real consequences, when we’re really on a battle field, fighting for our very lives.

The battle isn’t good people and bad people.
The battle isn’t us against them.
The battle isn’t you verses the world.
The battle is you fighting you. The battle is fought in our minds and the battle is won and lost over who we will choose to follow…ourselves or God.

“Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind…” 1 Peter 4:1a (NKJV)

Our mindset is armor, and this is war.

What mindset will you choose?
What voices will you decide to listen to?
What truth will you follow?

This life isn’t a game board, it’s a battle ground.
And you can’t expect to win a battle without armor.
And you can’t expect to win a war without a plan.

I battle in my mind a lot. I think we all do. And our enemy knows exactly what thoughts to put into our hearts and minds to derail us.
But we aren’t fighting this battle on our own.

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…” Romans 12:2a (NKJV)

Our hearts might be deceitful, but we have access to truth. The world might be shouting lies at us everyday, but we have unlimited access to the Source of Truth.

We have the ability to renew our minds.
We have the ability to arm ourselves with a right mindset.
We have the ability to put on a perspective based on truth.
Will we?

Will we turn to the Truth for a right perspective?
Will we read God’s Word to learn truth?
Will we meditate on the Bible to consistently refresh and reset our minds?
Will we use the armor we’ve been given?

Because our mindset is armor, and this is war.

Be blessed
Alesha

Okay with awkward by Alesha Sinks

“I think they felt really awkward.”

I whisper to my husband as we walk away from yet another chance encounter during our evening walk downtown.

“You should have ended the conversation sooner.”

I hate awkward. I think we all do.
Awkward conversations.
Awkward pauses.
Awkward people…and I am an awkward person sometimes.

I hate it because I’m uncomfortable.
I hate it because I don’t want the other person to be uncomfortable.
I hate it because…it’s awkward.
And I’m so paranoid of what others will think if I make an awkward thing any more awkward than it already is.

“I know.” He whispers back, “It was awkward. But I want to be okay with that. I want to give them an opportunity to talk.”

“Why? It’s awkward!!!” I said. As if the obvious needed to be pointed out.

And then he talked about how people have value and how you never know if pressing through a little awkwardness could create the space for the breakthrough you need get deeper with someone…to really love them.

We moved here to help start a church, so we orient our lives to be with people, to spend time with people, and to love people where they’re at.

But if I spend the whole time dodging and sidestepping, hoping to never offend or create awkwardness, then will I ever make a difference worth making?

And I could see the little quiver of nervousness lingering in his smile and in the controlled rush of words as he talked. And I felt relieved and frustrated all at once.

Relieved because I’m not the only one who hates the awkward.
Frustrated because if he can push through the awkward and the nervousness for the sake of relationship, for the sake of the gospel, then what excuse do I have?

And I remind myself, wasn’t Jesus awkward? Didn’t He ask the hard questions and say the controversial truths? So what is my excuse?

Be blessed, 

Alesha